How was your New Year's Eve? If you
were one of the lucky ones, it was one of the most memorable paintball
experiences and New Year's celebrations to be had. As the clock struck
twelve, the first paintballs began to fly throughout the world, celebrating
2004. A small sect of serious partiers looking for a memorable night started
their New Year Eves' with a bang, with paintball! Toledo Indoor Paintball
was one place that held an, alcohol free, all night paint shooting festival
of fun for their New Years' celebration. It was a New Year's memory that
the participants will never forget.

So, how was this once-a-year moment
immortalized paintball style? Toledo Indoor Paintball (TIP) began with
a large spread of yummy food to get everyones' energy up. After all, the
paintball party started at 6 PM and would go until late the next morning.
It was a fifteen hour party! Players began by running through paintball
games and grabbing snacks in between. They were all warming up for the
big moment, an adrenaline rush which would climax at Midnight and make
them the players of the New Year. As the last seconds of 2003 approached,
opponents waited with their teammates for the final countdown of the year
to begin. All was quiet in anticipation. Who would be the first player
to be shot out in 2004? Who would be the first to win? These individuals
would be some of the very few on the planet to start the year with such
excitement and thrill. The intensity rose as the radio blared sounds from
Times Square, - 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1& Happy New Year! - At
that very second, paintballs began flying, players began moving, and the
game had begun. Some were shot out, but they stuck in anyway, not wanting
to give up. Others weaved through objects as fast as they could, trying
to miss the projectiles that would take them out of the game.

Players grinned and laughed with delirium.
Those first few exhilarating moments of the year could not have been any
better.

The night was not just about paintball.
It was also about camaraderie. The people, who had come together as strangers,
were one big group of friends by the time the bell dropped. Both young
and old participated. A father and his two small sons spent their New Years
this way, as did friends and co-workers. Some came alone, knowing that
this would be their kind of party while their parents were celebrating
in a more traditional way. Together, they all toasted with non-alcoholic
champagne and joy.

There was not just paintball to play
all night. A large card gameformed around one table. At another
table, two X-Boxes were linked together so that eight were playing together
at the same time. Halo, of course. This gave players a variety of things
to do and a break from the paintball games. Some began to look a little
tired at about 4 AM but Toledo Indoor didn't stop then. Small groups of
players kept getting together and playing yet another round of paintball.
Others began snuggling up in their sleeping bags or playing video games.
At 5 AM prizes were drawn and paintball gifts were given out. This was
a pick-me-up for all. Breakfast was brought in at 6 AM. This was enough
to help everyone cruise through the rest of the morning and leave with
sheepish smiles on their faces. There is no doubt that they returned to
their homes and fell fast asleep, with a good feeling about the New Year
and all the excitement that it holds in store.